Spring has arrived and so has Rockville baseball. Following an exciting and successful season last year, the team is very optimistic about their upcoming season.

The 2016 baseball season was one of Rockville’s most successful across all sports. The team, led by class of 2016 captains Micky Van Gieson and Sam Chisholm, made it to the regional championship for the first time since 1993, where they were defeated by Huntingtown HS. Their final record resulted in 11 wins and seven losses.

“The hard work and dedication of each player both as a team and individually allowed for the team to extend its season to include a regional championship game,” said junior left fielder Andrew Axelsson.

“While the result of the regional championship wasn’t what we had hoped for, we are proud of the direction the team is headed,” said Axelsson.

However, the loss of last years seniors will have a big impact on the team as they seek new leadership. Some think the 2017 season should be considered a “rebuilding” year.

Head coach Farron Riggs said he expects great things out of his 2017 team. “This year’s team is very talented. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen that have experience playing with each other,” Riggs said. “Losing nine seniors is always hard, especially ones that have started for three or four years,” Riggs said. But the loss of those players means there are opportunities for other athletes to step up to the plate and make their presence known.

Sophomore Manoli Athanasakis said he is very optimistic about the team’s potential for success.

“I am very excited about this spring season. I think we can go deep in the playoffs like last year. We have very strong pitchers and a great defense to back them up.”

According to Athanasakis, Rockville baseball does not receive the same attention as some of the other sports teams. “I hope this season will allow baseball to receive the recognition we deserve. I think that baseball should be more appreciated at school. We are one of the best teams at Rockville,” he said.